In a rock shelter in the NSW
Blue Mountains 20 years ago, I came across a mysterious Aboriginal carving.
Etched into the rock it appeared to
depict a human-like figure seated in an airborne vehicle. Flying saucer
enthusiasts would take this carving as clear evidence that astronauts from
outer space visited Australia in ancient times. personally, I don't know.
But if it is not a depiction of "ancient
astronauts", then what does it mean?

Aboriginal myth and legend,
like that of primitive peoples throughout the world, speak of "dream-like"
culture heroes, or gods, who came from the sky at the dawn of history to
impart culture to earth's primitive inhabitants. These
traditions, linked as they are with many ancient archaeological sites, give
rise to current theories that in ancient times our Earth may have been visited
by intelligent beings from other worlds.

Researchers who investigate
this evidence point to certain myths and legends, as well as the rock art
of the Australian Aborigines, which they believe support the theory of visits
to Earth by "astronauts" from outer space. As an open-minded
researcher of many unexplained Australian mysteries, I do not deny the likelihood
of intelligent life forms existing elsewhere in space. If such forms exist
and have undertaken space exploration, then perhaps "someone" might have visited Earth in ancient times.

Perhaps the most intriguing
evidence supporting this theory can be seen in the many fascinating stone-age
cave paintings and rock carvings found throughout the world. The rock art
of the Australian Aborigines, like those elsewhere in the world, depicts
animal scenes together with strange man-like shapes and images. Researchers
have long argued about whether these depict visiting astronauts and their
space craft, or mythical culture heroes and totemic designs.

Believers have claimed that
many of these mysterious shapes are very similar to U.F.O's {Unidentified
Flying Objects} supposed to be sighted in modern times. The
implications are that many thousands of years ago strange phenomenon were
observed in the skies. Whether these were space craft containing extraterrestrials
beings is arguable.

Take, for example, the world
famous Wandjina cave paintings of the aborigines of the Kimberley's region
of Western Australia. These human figures dressed in strange garments and "space-helmet"-type head
dresses have been claimed to represent ancient astronauts. The
traditions surrounding the Wandjina say these beings came from the west
{ie.,across the Indian Ocean} in ships in ancient times.

From my own study of the Wandjina
figures, I would say the so-called, "space
suits" and helmets of these figures resemble more closely
traditional garments and head gear of ancient middle-east seafarers who
may have landed on the Kimberleys coastline 2500-3000 years ago during trading
expeditions to south-east Asia.

These
interesting possibilities are supported by apparent middle-east racial features
still present today among local tribes people, and ancient rock engravings
in the region identical to symbols of the ancient Egyptians and Phoenicians.

Similar "spaceman" art exists at Ayers Rock {Uluru}

Many so-called, "spacecraft" carvings and paintings of the Aboriginals are associated with myths which
ancient astronaut researchers have grasped at as further "proof" of extra-terrestrial visitations in antiquity. For
example: Central Australian aborigines believe that far back in the dream-time
a great coloured egg came down from the skies to break into pieces upon
touching the ground.

Cave paintings
of the "egg" are cited
by "ancient astronaut" researchers as depictions of an ancient space-craft, despite the fact these
paintings are typical aboriginal interpretations of meteors and comets.

Almost 20 years ago, during
a search for ancient rock art sites, I came upon a rock shelter deep in
the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. Etched into the rock shelter wall, I
found an aboriginal painting of a horizontal, heart shaped design in Red
Ochre. Measuring 77 cm long, by 26 cm wide, it was connected by a greyish-ochred "tall" extending 2.5 metres
horizontally along the cave wall.

Aboriginals say the design
depicts a comet. It would be interesting to speculate on whether the unknown
artist depicted Haleys Comet upon that cave wall. We shall never know. There
are, however, many Aboriginal rock carvings and paintings depicting objects
which defy any conventional identification. They
often include human-like figures attached to apparent airborne objects,
and at least one Blue Mountains NSW carving seems to depict what could be
described as a human-like figure seated in an airborne vehicle.

If they are not depictions
of "ancient astronauts",
then what is their true meaning?

Similar mysteries are found
in Papua New Guinea, where highland natives believe the first men and women
came from a giant "beetle" which landed from the heavens at the dawn of history. UFO
watchers marvel at the famous Nasca Plain "airstrip" and other ancient formations in Peru, South America. They argue that these
were built by visiting extra-terrestrials in antiquity.

However. archaeologists have
demonstrated how the ancient Peruvians constructed these alignments and
other formations themselves, for astronomical observations associated with
agriculture-much like the megalithic stone alignments erected across Europe
and Asia several thousand years ago. Similar
structures are to be found in Australia.

Take, for example, one site
in far western New South Wales, consisting of lengthy stone alignments,
standing stones (menhirs), stone circles, even carved stone heads, and other
structures, covering an area of several square kilometres. Since
I first discovered the site 12 years ago, I have come to realise these structures
all form one vast astronomical observatory, for plotting the seasonal movements
of the heavens for agricultural purposes.

But who were the builders of
these monuments? It is yet one more mystery of Australia's ancient past
whose answers are lost in the mists of time. Some of the stones forming
these structures are enormous and would give rise to suggestions their erection
was beyond the means primitive man.

I cannot accept this explanation.
Egyptologists have shown how the ancient Egyptians were able to move massive
stones into place on the pyramids up to 5000 years ago, with the aid of
sand causeways which were removed at the completion of the pyramids. It
has been demonstrated how our ancient fore-fathers were able to move quite
often massive stones in place with the simplest means.

Aboriginal folklore
maintains they shared Australia with other races of man who inhabited the
land before them.

These included a race of giant
stone-tool making men and women. Certain rock art throughout Australia,
like other examples throughout the world, is claimed to depict giant beings,
often clothed in garments which could be said to resemble those worn by
modern-day {earth based} astronauts. Regardless
of the supposed "astronaut" status of these figures, there is evidence for claims of giant races in
antiquity.

Fossilised jaws and teeth
of tremendous proportions have been excavated in Africa, the near-east,
China and Java, including huge stone implements and even fossilised giant
footprints. Such implements and footprints
have been found in remote parts of Australia to give credence to aboriginal
traditions. The aborigines of central western New South Wales claimed these
giants stood twice the height of modern man.

In various locations throughout
the central west of the state, I have over the past 20 years, uncovered
many enormous stone implement's, including hand axes, clubs, knives, adzes
and other tools, weighing from 5.5 kg to 16.5 kg. Such
implements could only have been made and used by beings of immense stature
and strength. Are these implements the remains of Australian relatives of
the Meganthropus {"Giant Java Man"} who was said to roam south-east
Asia 500,000 years ago, a giant forerunner of the smaller Java Man {Homo
Erectus}.

I believe it possible that
a number of large fossil footprints found in many parts of Australia may
have been made by this race. These man-like tracks are up to 60 cm long,
and 35 cm wide across the toes. Some have been found in the Bathurst-Blue
Mountains district of New South Wales, as well as in Victoria and Queensland,
preserved by ancient volcanic ash flows dating back into the last ice-age.

At the time the tracks were made,
a great land-bridge would have allowed easy access into Australia for migrating
stone-age groups from south-east Asia long before the appearance of the
first Aborigines.

I believe that in this modern
age with many old scientific ideas continually being made obsolete by new
discoveries, research into current mysteries, including the U.F.O question,
should not be discouraged. Were some of the "gods" of the aborigines and other ancient people visitors from other worlds?

Only
future research can decide. All the "evidence" so far gathered is inconclusive, and raises questions to which there are
only tentative answers. I remain completely open on the subject.

My verdict is that the"ancient
astronaut" theory is not altogether impossible, fantastic
though it seems, but better supportive evidence is needed for its adherents
to prove their case. Man has only
just taken the first steps towards the exploration of the cosmos. Perhaps
only when we can explore other worlds in space will we learn more fully
about the origin of our own.